The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-30


side forward, against the current, to where
the pirates boat loated.
1t was but the work of a moment for her
TO loose the painter by which
the skin was fastened put the gun
into the boat. and then, with the noiseless,
easy motion of a practiced swimmer, she
struck out for the shore, taking the boat with
her
She reached the bank at point where
foliage afforded thick shade and put her
hand into the boat to draw out the gun,
when she made q discovery that swelled her
heart with thankfulness. When she cap
tured the gun she had only hoped to have
one shot with the load she did not doubt it
contained to
AvENGE HER DEAD
upon one of the pirates But fate
had given her more. A powder horn
and bullet pouch had been left lying
upon one of the seats of the boat,
and in the bottom she found a long,
keen knife, doubtless the one that the muir
derer of her sister had dropped. A ferocious
delight filed her as she enshrouded herself
among the bushes, where she could command
a full view of the fiat boat upon which the
newly-risen moon shone brightly.
1t was SO close to her that she could hear
distinctly the conversation and oaths of the
aSSaSsins
They had found both the money and the
whisky and were sharing both
After time one of the men came out on
the deck, looked around for the boat, and,
missing it, sworc roundly and luridly about
the careleSSnesS of the man who had so
badly secured thatit got away. Before he had
had time to exhaust the subject, the crack
of rife sounded among the bushes on
shore, and he plunged forward, head fore
most into the water.
al do
ready for a second victim, who was not slow
in presenting himself
Price, the leader Of the gang of outlaws,
stepped out of the doorway with the de
mand: whats the matter" having heard
the rolling volume of his subordinate's pro-
family, and the gun cracked again.
With howl of pain the pirate fell back
into the doorway. The bullet had gone
| through both eyes and the bridge of his
nose, binding him completely and infiict-
ing excruciating torture, yet not infiicting
an Immediately fatal injury
Tho two remaining villains, now thor
oughly alarmed, became frantically anxious
to escape from the boat, where they real
lied that they were destined to become tar
gets for the unerring aim OF some unknown
and mysterious markslnau on shore.
One of them endeavored TO crawl to the
hawser holding the fat boat, intending TO
cut it and let her swing out with the current
away from her dangerous proximity to tho
shore, but before he could do so bullet
PIERCED HIS LUNGS,
and torrent of blood yelling up in his
throat suffocated him.
The last of the gang, completely terror
stricken, plunged overheard, with the pur-
pose of swimming to the further side of the
river The current was strong and he bat
! tied against it with difficulty. He was al
most exhausted, when CHANGING to look be-
hind him he beheld a sight that seemed to
paralyze him. Gaining swiftly upon him
was a light skiff with the tall figure of a
woman clad in white and looking to him
like a ghost, no doubt, standing upright in
it and padding skillfully in his direction.
| AS she neared him he saw that she carried a
cleaning knife in her teeth.
Not word was uttered, either by pur-
suer or pursued.
Again and again he dived to evade her,
| but each time when he was forced to the sur
! face to breathe, she was nearer to him. His
strength was failing him, his sight growing
dim, and he no longer knew in what direc-
| ton he was swimming.
At length he came up so close to her that
| she dealt a swinging blow with the knife at
his head and cut cash to the skull clear
across his forehead The blood poured in a
torrent over his eyes. He shrieked in NOR
tai fright and throwing out hand blindly
| clutched the side of the skiff AS he did SO
the knife descended upon his fingers, COM
pletely sevcring them. Exhausted, rapidly
growing faint with the loss of blood, he
houndered about vainly shrieking for
mercy, while Mary kept near him, at every
opportunity slashing him with her cruel big
knife. 1t was but a little time that
the struggle continued, until with bub-
bling cry he sank and disappeared forever.
k,f4l I,,,ff -
the gang, and believing that she had now
disposed of them all, quickly padded di-
rectly to the fat boat, but as she neared it
the sound of loud groans reached her ears
and awoke i'll her hope that perhaps one at
least of her parents might still be alive and
CAPABLE Of being saved. But the hope was
short-lived.
AS she stepped into the store-door the
! light of the lamp fell upon the bodies of her
father lying dead where she had seen him
fall, and her mother with her skull cleft in
twain.
The groans were emitted by the pirate
| Ranse Price, who sat upon the floor rock
ing himself to and fro, with his hands
clasped over the
sIGHTLEsS SOCKETS OF HIS EYES,
rocking himself to and fro, lningling his i'll
articulate expressions of agony with the ex-
| claDlatiou:
'Tm blind! Oh, Cod I'm blind"
Mary stood STILL looking at him for some
moments. He heard her cross the floor
toward him, and called out:
is that you, Billl Dan? thought
you'd all gone and left me. Say, who are
you"
A voice, clear and pitileSs, replied TO him
II am the daughter of the man and wom-
an you and your gang butchered, the sister
of the child one of you murdered. ! have
killed all your companions and now come
to kill you"
"Mercy! Mercy" he shrieked. II didn't
put finger on them. 1t wasn't me. The
other fellows did it. Spare me! For Gods
sake spare met Send me to Jail il you will,
but don't kill mel See, I'm blind! | can't
help myself! You wouldn't kill fellow in
this fix would youF'
Yes replied the girl, slashing him
across the face with the knife. He
screamed, and sought to crawl away, at the
same time trying TO cover his face.
Again and again she slashed him.
His supplications changed TO curses, and
he endeavored TO clutch her, to battle for
his life. Once he caught her light garment,
but as he did so the knife severed the ten
dons Of his wrist, and his grasp was power
less. He rose to his feet in desperation and
made a rush in the direction where he
heard her honrse breathing. Easily she
evaded him, and throwing a stool before
him caused him TO stumble and fall head
long. Then she followed him up and slashed
| 4, ip mud aaraip